Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to make a few brief comments with regard to the motion. I am in support of the motion. I think it’s important that we go back a bit in history and to the beginning of the 17th Assembly when we set priorities for this Assembly. At that time, we set those priorities based on the way the world was at that time. There was a big focus on the Inuvik-Tuk highway and we still have that focus. Times change and I think we have to roll with the times, so to speak, and I think we have to recognize that we currently have a huge amount of activity in the Sahtu region and I think we have to recognize that we have to do something about that. As times change, I think we must also change. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and ignore what is happening in the Sahtu. I’m not suggesting that the government is, but we need to do more than what we’re currently doing. We have to be forward looking and I’m not so sure that we are as forward looking as we should be, and this motion speaks to looking forward.

I would like to give kudos to Mr. Yakeleya and Mr. Menicoche for bringing this motion forward. They are both looking after their constituents, and regions and constituencies. It’s going to be a benefit not only to the Sahtu region, not only to Nahendeh, but I think it’s going to be a benefit to all of the NWT. I think we have to recognize that and, as a government, we have to do something about that.

I am in support of this motion and I would urge the rest of my colleagues to do the same.